Quick, Quick

I have all of 2 minutes to write this post. I wanted to share a couple ideas about the grocery bags. Of course, the t-shirts are still winning...but still. T-shirts will be a solid color (would love input on favorite colors that will sell well- one for guys and one for gals).

Okay, here are the insulated totes. How cool are they?!! They zip at the top and are kinda quilted- super cool! Ha ha!

And here's one option for the grocery bags. Very hip!

And another- great size but the usual. Except they are heavy duty (supposedly).

And last, but certainly not least. See, these have closures at the top and fold so they can be handy and all.

So, you see my dilemma. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the t-shirt idea because we can all be LOUD with them on without saying a word. We may do some of the bags, too. I need your input, though. Comment, comment, comment.

Remember, they will say something like "We are CALLED to .... love them like Jesus!" with a Bible verse. It may just be "Love them like Jesus" with the verse. Again, your thoughts?

Okay, my 2 minutes are up. Off to roundup kiddos.

I love you guys! Thanks again for your prayers! We're feelin' them!
In Him,

E

Phew!

I am still here but think I am falling into the great paperwork abyss! I know, I know. I'm not wanting anyone to feel sorry for me- I just want my kitchen table back!! Here it is before-




And here it is after. Notice the difference?! All paperwork is now neatly stacked- HUGE accomplishment! And no, that's not what it looks like right now because I came home after a long day today with about 18 more pieces of paperwork to add to the every growing Mt. Homestudy. But, check marks are good and I am only lacking a few- yay!! The only pieces of the puzzle left to finish are our self-studies and doctor appointments for hubby and I.

Tomorrow I will send off FBI fingerprint cards and complete state fingerprints. I can then honestly say that ALL criminal checks will be complete! I know many of you are adoptive parents, but for those of you who aren't I just want to show you a sample list of the items that are required to BEGIN the adoption process. Thus the mountain forming on my kitchen table. Do you still wonder why it's called a paper pregnancy? You have to hurry up and gather all of these items only to wait and wait and wait for your child to come home.

1. Home Study Packet Checklist - International

2. Home Study Checklist/Instructions

3. Application

4. Home Study Agreement/Fee Schedule/Refund Policy

5. Child Abuse and Neglect Consent (16 and older)

6. Sexual Offender Registry Consent

7. Self-Studies

8. Employment Verification

9. Financial Form
10. Most Recent Federal Tax Return (Form 1040 pages 1 & 2)
11. Medical Reports- check with your placing agency to see if blood work is needed in addition to a TB test

12. Pediatrician Report and Immunization verification of children already in home
13. Health Insurance Card

14. Criminal Checks

15. HIPPA Form and Criminal Check Acknowledgement

16. Arrest Disposition and Letter of Explanation (if applicable)
17. Federal Express Account Number
18. Birth Certificates for all family members in the home / Marriage Certificate / Divorce Decree / Death Certificate / Adoption Decree for all adopted children in the household (photocopies only)
19. Pet Vaccinations
20. Septic Tank Letter (if applicable)
21. Well Water Test (if applicable)
22. Address Form- all addresses since the age of 18

23. Hague adoptions require ten hours of Hague approved adoption training. We can assist you with this
24. Three Reference Letters

25. Gun and Pool Safety Statement

We are still praying about a commitment. We feel like we should have a completed (or almost completed) homestudy before committing to anyone, but don't fret!! You will know when that commitment is made.

Psssttt..don't forget to vote. It still looks like t-shirts are in the lead.

In Him,

E

Angel Boy

Grab This Button!



Just look at this sweetie! He is oh so close to coming home, and I just can't wait! No, he's not joining our family but a sweet, sweet family I met through Reece's Rainbow. Please, keep them in your prayers over the next month as they prepare for travel (and leave 5 little ones here at home), meet their newest angel and bring him home. His homecoming will bring huge transitions for everyone but through Christ all things are possible!

I have been truly blessed by the friendship Lyndi and I have developed over the past several months, and will be forever grateful to her for her prayers for our family and constant encouragement. God allowed our paths to cross in such an awesome way (through our brothers over email).

I continue you see His fingerprints all over our entire adoption journey. I know our little one(s) has already been chosen by Him- we can't wait to meet him/her!! Please, pray for my patience!

In Him,
E

Remember to VOTE

Don't forget to vote in the right sidebar. It's painless, I promise. Only 5 days left!

Hugs to everyone who continues to pray for us and our commitment. News soon (I hope). Keep hangin' in there.

In Him,

E

It's a Poll!!

Aren't you excited?! I've never had a poll on my blog before, but there's no time like the present, huh? Okay, here's the deal. My head is swimming with ideas to help raise funds for our adoption, and I need help figuring out what will work.


Several things that are a sure thing-

1. Yard sale - DONE! I can proudly say we have checked this off the list and raised $1,500 with money still coming in. BUT, it looks like another may be in the works. Several families have contacted us about having donations for us, so we'll see.


2. Pottery Sale by Shaping Lives Pottery (the coolest oldest daughter EVER!!). Visit her sale and place orders- email me orders at nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com. She's donating a large portion of the proceeds to our adoption. What a cool kid!


3. Fun Family Day on our property. We PRAY we can advertise this as a benefit concert with a really cool band. And PRAY we'll meet someone generous enough to help us out with an outdoor blowup movie screen so we can end the night with a family friendly film. Oh, and we can't forget Cow Patty Bingo! We'll be playing that throughout the evening.



And so, here's the deal. We would like to sell items to raise awareness for adoption and Christ's call to each of us. Of course, we'd also be raising funds for our adoption. We want the items to be BOLD and in your face. One saying that I love, say to my kids often and have hanging around my house is "Love them like Jesus". Period. If we all did that, there would be no orphans. We're thinking about printing that on something along with a Bible verse.


Choices are- tshirts, reusable grocery bags or bracelets like the one Caylyn's Mom gave me (see post from several days ago). The tshirts will say something like "We are all called..."on the front and "to LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS." and a Bible verse on the back. The grocery bags will be similar. I found some wonderful ones that actually close- both regular bags and quilted insulated bags for your cold items. Big ones! Again, the bracelets will be similar to the one Caylyn's Mom sent me. I can't tell you how absolutely gorgeous it is! It will specifically raise awareness for Reece's Rainbow.


So, I need to know-
1. What you'd like to see- what would be the coolest item?
2. What you think will sell better.
3. What you think will get the point across to the most people. It's not just about us, remember.


Please, take a moment to vote in the right sidebar. You only have 6 days! THANK YOU!!

In Him,
E

I don't want to talk about it.

That's was most people say. "I don't want to talk about it" and with that they just turn the other cheek. Adoption weighs heavy on my heart today. Why do people not want to face the fact that we are called to be His hands and feet. We are CALLED.

I just want to share a few facts with you-

1. There are between 135 and 142 MILLION orphans in the world.

2. Close to 90% of all pregnancies that have a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome are terminated. 90%!! And American doctors are still pushing termination.

3. Most orphans with disablilities in Eastern Europe with be sent to mental institutions around the age of 4. Most will not see their next birthday.

4. Another stat reads something like this- If every Christian family would adopt 1 child, there would be no more orphans. No more orphans! Okay, Christians!

So, my question is- whose responsibility is it to step up? Who is suppose to "Love Them Like Jesus"? Why should it be the other person's responsibility?

In Him,

E

Committment

(As Solomon said)"But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1Kings 8:61

Commitment. Something that we should never take lightly. Whether it be something as huge as marriage or as small as promising to paint your child's fingernails:). To commit to something is to be 100% in. To give yourself completely, and I pray I never commit to anything half way. I realize that I sometimes fail at this. There is now a commitment to be made, and we will NOT do it without making sure we are ready. Once we commit, we will never let go.

As much as I want to share with each and everyone of you where we are in our adoption journey right now, I just can't. But PLEASE believe me when I tell you that God has His hands all over this process. I see Him time and time again, and I'm always left speechless. From the small whispers that come from the mouths of others to the loud shouts I hear in my prayers, God is speaking.

Please, continue your prayers for our family- that we follow Him and our lives are for His glory.

Amazed by HIS grace,

E

Above Rubies

You may have heard of this delightful magazine, but even so...I have to share with those who haven't. What a blessing it has been to my spiritual life! And God has used it time and time again to get the point across to me in many, many ways. Truly, it never fails that when I have a certain burden on my heart I get this magazine in my mailbox with the EXACT answer I have been waiting for printed on the cover. NO, I'm not kidding. When we were praying about adoption, there it was. When my prayers were about Down Syndrome, guess what the featured article was about?! How cool is that?!! God answers my prayers and has literally used this magazine to do so.

Each article has touched me in some way- whether it be about homeschooling, being a mom or growing spiritually. I urge each of you to check it out. I know many are affected economically lately, but don't despair! Above Rubies is a FREE magazine that runs entirely on donations!

And sorry I haven't shared about this wonderful ministry earlier. I have been enjoying Above Rubies for years and just didn't think about it until this week. So, hop on over to the website and sign up for the mailing list. You will be enjoying a spiritually rich blessing very soon!

In Him,

E

What a blessed day!

I was in the kitchen working earlier and heard a little voice (our youngest)- "Mom, I left something for you at the door!" and with that, the glass door slammed shut. I was kind of scared. I just never know what I might find when my kids "leave something for me". But- AAAWWW!! Just look what I found when I rounded the corner.

I just love my girl!

On another note, a couple of weeks ago I met a wonderful lady, Cathy! Well, I didn't really "meet" her, like face to face and all, but God brought us together using this angel. This is Marina. She is blessed with Down Syndrome and is living in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. Cathy and her husband have committed to bring this angel home- YAY!!

Their journey has not been one without heartache. I urge you to visit their site and read their full story. Very briefly, Cathy and Tully had a daughter who was also blessed with Down Syndrome, Caylyn. Last March Caylyn lost her courageous battle with Leukemia. They have been through more than I can even imagine but press on and honor those with Downs. As Cathy says, "Pray with us as we encounter wonderful blessings, blessings in unconditional love that were first taught to us by the gift of Caylyn. May we do her proud as we honor her by paying it forward, by bringing Marina Home."

Please, join me in praying sweet Marina home.

This is a bracelet Cathy had made in late 2007 to honor Caylyn and help raise funds for her family and their ever mounting medical bills. Each bead represents something about Caylyn. Imagine my tears as I pulled it from an envelope today. Cathy, I will wear it PROUDLY!

Cathy and I have spoken about creating bracelets to help raise funds for both of our adoptions. I cannot tell you how beautiful these bracelets truly are and the pictures don't do them justice.

In honor of Caylyn!

And about the adoption- we have had several requests to do another yard sale and although it was alot of work, it was SO worth every minute. So, YES, we hope to have another sale in the next few weeks. DONATIONS- we need you!!

Also, many of you have asked that we keep you posted about the pottery sale. You people are amazing, I tell you!! In less than 48 hours, our girl has raised $394 with more sales coming in. WOW!! Thank you, God! Again, if you have sent an email and she hasn't responded yet, please know that she will in the next 24 hours. She is swamped- YAY!! And thank you for lovin' my girl!

You may link back to our sale if you'd like:). I have no idea how to make one of those cute little blog buttons, though- sorry.

I pray that each of you have a blessed weekend.

In Him,

E

I WANT TO SING A SONG!!

What a blessed way to start the day!!! I awoke to this song on my alarm clock this morning and feel the need to share. AMEN, AMEN and AMEN!! It has put a pep in my step, and OH, HOW I WANT TO SING A SONG!!! (*Remember to turn off the music at the bottom of the page.)
In Him,
E

The Lord is GOOD!

It has been less than 24 hours since I posted about our oldest's Pottery Sale , and she has already received several orders totaling....drum roll please....$125!!! Which means, $62.50 raised for the adoption- in less than a day. (If she did not respond to you today, please know she will get to you in the morning.)

HUGE "THANK YOUS" to those of you who placed orders- you have no idea how honored my sweetie feels to know that people truly love her work. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all!

In Him,

E

Pottery SALE!!

First (and only because I want to make sure you don't miss this part and if I don't say it now, I may forget), she is also making name signs. The kind that have your last name and "Est. 1995". You know, those kind. If you'd like the "Est." part left out, go for it! Or hey, make one for your child's room with his/her first name. Or even better- add their birthday. Oh, oh, how about their adoption day? They will be $20 personalized either way. Now, moving along...

**Newly added photo**

Personalized name sign $20

Cross $20 (and you may NOT have this one- it's mine!!)

Oh, I love this bowl $20

Small plate $15
Large plate $20

Our dear oldest daughter came to me today and said, "Mom, I want to sell some of my pottery and give part of the money to our adoption fund." Can I just say- I LOVE THIS GIRL!! She has such a sweet spirit. So, I told her I'd post some of her pieces here to see what kind of response we get. Most of the larger pieces are ones she (we) wants to keep, but she is willing to make similar ones which is a great thing for you- you can pick your favorite color!!

Now, I'm going to do a little advertisement here-
These pendants are wonderful!! Have one made for an extra special, personalized gift!!
Pendants are $8 without ribbon
$10 with ribbon


Coasters $15 for a set of 4 (round or square)
Each have felt on the bottom to protect your wood.

Several bits of important information about the pottery-

1. Each piece is unique. If you are requesting a custom made item, please realize that there are several steps to the process and our daughter will not be able to produce your piece in a couple of days.

2. There are many colors to choose from- blue, brown, red, cream, celery (lightish green/cream), green (a darker shade), brown/turquoise and I'm sure many more I am forgetting. Just ask.

3. Feel free to change things up a bit by asking for coasters in a lace pattern instead of geometric pattern. Or solid colored heart magnets instead of printed. Or a solid platter instead of print. The options are endless, so let your imagination flow (how cheesy was that?!) and get creative.

4. Prices DO NOT reflect shipping. We will let you know shipping costs after we total your order.

5. And again, some of these exact items are for sale, but others will have to be custom made. I AM NOT PARTING WITH MY CROSS!

Polka dot squished bowl $18

These are all magnets (peppers, hearts, dots, mushrooms, birds, stars)- aren't they darling?!!

They are being sold for $2 each and you can mix and match them as you please.

This platter is huge- I love it! It is $25.

Bowl $18- it is so thick and heavy!

If you are in fact interested in purchasing any of these pieces, please email me at nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com

I cannot even to begin to thank all of you enough for your continued support and prayers. We are feeling them now more than ever, and I hope to be able to update you on our process very soon.

In Him,

E

Prayers PLEASE!!

Alright prayer warriors, I need you! About our adoption- PLEASE PRAY!! I hope to be able to update later.
In Him,
E

I LOVE YOU!!

Thirteen years ago today I made a promise before God to the most amazing guy. He has held me up through it all and vowed to never give up- even when it would have been all too easy to do. You have no idea the quirks he has to put up with daily :), but he does....and loves it (I'm sure of it!)!! So, today I choose to tell the world-

I LOVE MY HUSBAND EVEN MORE TODAY!!

I'll be honest here and tell you that there was a time when we didn't know if this day would come. But about 8 years ago, my hubby wouldn't let us fail. He fought like he'd never fought to help us succeed. In a world where failed marriages seem to be the norm, my guy wouldn't give up. And because of him (and GOD!!) we are stronger today than ever. With God's help, we were lead to the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. I cannot recommend it enough. A strong marriage is about respect, giving of yourself (totally and sacrificially), doing it together. Being one in Christ.

I found a shirt several months ago and on the front it says "I Love My Husband". It is one of my favorites and those close to me are probably tired of seeing me wear it. But I wear it so everyone knows it is possible, and there isn't a day I have it on when someone (usually many someones) ask me about it.

So, love your spouse!! Stick to that promise you made to each other and to God. Good marriages aren't easy but leaning on Christ, you will succeed!!!

I LOVE YOU, HONEY!!

In Him,

E